Clowney says Clemson QB Boyd scared of Gamecocks

When South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney plays, he usually is the focal point of just about everyone in the stadium.

When Jadeveon Clowney speaks, everyone listens and Tuesday everyone was listening when Clowney spoke during the SEC media days at Hoover, Ala. His message that quarterbacks were “scared” to face the Gamecocks defensive line was sure to be heard loud and clear from Arkansas to Georgia to South Carolina.

“I can tell Tajh Boyd is scared back there,” Clowney, talking about Clemson’s quarterback, told ESPN. “He ain’t no sitting duck, but you can see in his eyes that he’s scared of our D-linemen.”

The 6-foot-6, 247-pound lineman said he knows fear when he sees it in an opponent’s eyes and he said he saw it quite often last season. Boyd was not alone, Clowney said. Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and former Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson were scared, too. Clowney said there was another SEC quarterback who was scared but he didn’t name him.

“You can look at a guy and tell that he’s scared,” Clowney said. “If he’s staring at me before the ball is snapped and he’s staring at me every play before the ball is snapped, oh we got him. I tell the players that he’s shook.”

Clowney, who is a Heisman candidate as well a member of both the Lombardi and Bronko Nagurski watch lists this season, said he lets his play speak for himself on the field and does not resort to taunting.

Last season he recorded 54 tackles, including 23.5 tackles for loss. Against archrival Clemson and Boyd, he compiled a career-high 4.5 sacks in a 27-17 win.

“We know that coming into the game that we have him shook already,” Clowney explained. “We get a couple hits on him and it changes the whole game. He’s scared every time we play them. I know he’s probably listening to this right now, but I’m just telling the truth, man.”

Clowney, who finished sixth in the Heisman voting last year, downplayed individual awards.

“That’s not really a goal for me,” he said. “A goal for me is winning the SEC. That’s our biggest goal right now.”